Drawing the Line

摘要

Most Australians do not acknowledge or appreciate the dramatic decline in their commercial fishing industry over the past four decades. The fact that we import almost three quarters of our domestic seafood consumption does not appear to alarm the government or the people.Professional fishermen and those supplying the industry, however, are fully aware of the destruction inflicted on this valuable and essential primary provider. They also know full well that the damage done has had nothing to do with the health of the marine stocks or the environment.Instead, the industry has been destroyed by unnecessary, restrictive and expensive over-regulation by the authorities and the unscientific, irrational, social and political influence of the environmental movement, the Greens.